SAGINAW — Saginaw development leaders wanted to help Habitat for Humanity but instead ended up with a $350,000 repair estimate.

Before the city began a $3 million-plus renovation of the former Jefferson Apartments, 505 Millard, leaders offered Habitat the opportunity to pluck out a number of items, including cast-iron bath tubs and other fixtures, for potential resale.

While removing the heavy metal bathtubs, workers cracked and scratched marble and flooring throughout the building.

SN: Some damage of this sort can happen even when workers take care. But there is no excuse for such widespread damage. The folks at Habitat were right to claim responsibility.

He said Habitat managers speculated — but couldn’t confirm after calling local scrap metal dealers — that workers had attempted to sell some of the metal bathtubs for their scrap value.

Saginaw officials intended for Habitat to sell the items at its ReStore Saginaw, 325 W. Holland, which sells recycled building materials.

SN: While we’re not happy to hear the suspicion that some workers may have tried to sell some of the items to salvage yards when they were meant to be sold at ReStore, we applaud Habitat officials for not trying to hide anything.

No excuses are being made. No one has had to press for answers.

Their forthright attitude is refreshing.

The Habitat workers caused damage “to 18 bathrooms, to the stairwell treads and risers, and to the front end marble staircase” at the former Jefferson Apartments, according to a March repair estimate from Saginaw-based Spence Brothers for $354,466.

The apartment redo is part of Saginaw’s quest to shore up neighborhoods using a $17.4 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant the city received from the federal government last year.

The building sustained damage as workers removed salvage items.

“Somebody forgot what our purpose was over there ... and it’s incredibly unfortunate,” said Cameron Brady, Habitat’s executive director. “Some staff was let go as a result of what happened over there.”

Brady said he’d “rather not” go further into detail about the incident.

It happened. It shouldn’t have. Habitat took the appropriate steps to address the matter, including removing the people responsible.

Saginaw officials filed a claim against Habitat’s insurer.

“I can’t say if all that was done was a result of our actions, but we wanted to make right what we felt was our responsibility, and we did that,” Brady said. “The city was trying to do us a favor.”

SN: No pointing fingers. Just a refreshing “mea culpa” and the recognition that they were in the wrong and the city deserved to be compensated.

However, the settlement amount, $236,946.31, according to the property damage release, was $117,519.69 less than the estimated repair bill.

Stemple said the insurance company reduced the settlement based on depreciation because the building was built in 1926.

He described the damage “as quite unfortunate for everybody.”

SN: Habitat did what it could through its insurance. Yes, the city is out more than $100,000, according to the estimate, but it shouldn’t try to recoup that from the nonprofit agency, which has been nothing but cooperative and apologetic regarding this matter. Habitat itself is on the same mission as the city — to upgrade its housing stock.

Move ahead with the renovations and move on.

Development Director Odail Thorns said the employees used “bad judgment,” but Habitat “took full responsibility” and “acted in good faith.” He said the incident has not harmed the city’s relationship with Habitat.

SN: The incident has not harmed the relationship between the city and Habitat precisely because of the way the nonprofit dealt with it.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how those mistakes are handled that makes all the difference in the end.

Demetrius Braddock, who owns Saginaw-based Braddock Demolition, said his company won a $534,514.50 bid to remove lead paint and asbestos from the buildings.

In June, the city asked Braddock — a response to the Habitat-incurred damage, he said — to submit an addendum to his bid for added services, including “carefully” removing all trimming and nails, encasing “broken steps to prevent further damage,” protecting floors throughout the building with plywood and removing fire escapes.

The bid added an estimated $32,425 to the project.

SN: Though no one is happy to see the price go up, it will be worth it in the end to prevent further damage to the building and keep as much of its historical character and architecture in tact.

Braddock said some mangled tubs were left behind, and it appeared someone “was using sledge hammers” to break them into pieces.

“They did a pretty good job on the floors,” Braddock said. “They damaged marble, and they damaged granite.

“Those tubs had to weigh roughly better than 400 to 500 pounds. And they drug them across the floors, and they threw some of the tubs down the stairs.

We had to clean up what they did, and then we had to protect all of the floors.”

Stemple said the repairs will be combined with the renovation work when officials are ready to seek bids from contractors.

SN: Ultimately, the money will come from the federal funds being used for this renovation. It was an expensive lesson for all involved.